Shoe polishing apparatus



Nov. 18, 1947. is. SILFEN SHOE POLISHING APPARATUS Filed May 11, 1944 IJIZUFW ZZ' ki zjazzzzfn jg W Patented Nov. 18,1947

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHOE POLISHING APPARATUS Benjamin Silfen,Chicago, Ill.

Application May 11, 1944, Serial No. 535,012

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates in general to a shoe polishing apparatus and ismore particularly described as a kit and container for shoe cleaning andpolishing materials, also providing a raised foot plate upon which thefoot rests for facilitating the cleaning and polishing process.

An important object of the invention is to provide a foot rest inconjunction with a container for shoe polishing articles having alsoparallel bars at the sides of the foot rest which serve both to assistin enclosing the articles and also to aid in their use in the shoepolishing operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a combined container fora shoe polishing kit which is made entirely of wood or other noncriticalmaterial such as plastic or composition which is not subject torequirement for war purposes.

A further object of the invention is to provide a shoe polishingcontainer having a hinged foot plate which is releasably locked in placeat the top thereof to retain shoe polishing articles in the container.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combined shoe polishingapparatus and container which is generally of new and improvedconstruction and'material characterized by simplicity of design as wellas ease and facility of use, assembly nd operation.

Other objects of the invention and the various advantages andcharacteristics of the present combined apparatus and container will beapparent from a consideration of the following detailed description.

The invention consists in the several novel features which arehereinafter described and more particularly defined by the claim at theconclusion hereof. I

In the drawings which accompany and form a part of this specification ordisclosure and in which like letters and numerals of reference denotecorresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a perspective of a shoe polishing apparatus with the top orfoot plate in raised position;

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view of the structure shown in Figure 1with the foot plate in closed position; and

Figure 3 is a sectional detail taken on the line 33 of Figure 2.

A shoe polishing apparatus has heretofore been provided with bars orrollers at the side of a fixed or movable foot plate over whichpolishing strips or cloths are movable for the purpose of cleaning tomll.

and polishing a shoe, but the present invention incorporates a footsupport and cloth engaging bars as a part of a structural container inwhich the foot plate is utilized as a top and retaining device for areceptacle in which the bars are also mounted, the bars and the topplate providing means for holding other devices and equipment used inpolishing compactly within and substantially enclosed thereby.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, a container, open atthe top, has ends 8 and 9 secured to lower sides In and all supported inupright position at the margin of a base or bot- At each corner of theunder side of a base, a supporting button l2 of rubber or other materialmay be provided.

One of the ends 8 is provided with a recess or slot I 3 in its upperedge for receiving a foot plate M therein, rotatably mounted upon apivot l5 inserted from one extremity of the end. In order that the footplate will fit closely over the container, the bottom l5 of the slot I 3is inclined downwardly at the outside of the slot to enable the plate toassume an inclined position and also to limit the upward incliningmovement of the plate.

The other end piece 9 is provided with a similar recess or slot [6 of awidth to receive the free end of the plate l4 therein and of a depth toseat the plate substantially flush with the top thereof. In the free endof the plate is a notch I! to receive the rounded end 18 of a flatspring catch [9 secured to the outer side of the end 9 below the slotand adapted to hold the plate releasably seated in the slot l6.

Extending between the ends 8 and 9 additionally supporting and holdingthem together, are two side rods 20. These rods are located at somedistance above the bottom to provide space below them for insertingarticles in the kit, they are spaced inwardly from each of the sides II]to allow the extremities of cleaning and polishing cloths 2! and 22 tobe inserted freely around the rods from the inside and outside thereof;and they are located below and outside of the sides of the foot plate l4so that a cleaning cloth or strip inserted under both rods may beconfined closely against the sides and over the top of a shoe placedupon the plate 14.

In the cleaning operation, the foot plate I4 is preferably closed overthe receptacle and it is commonly provided with a ribbed anti-slippingcover 23 of rubber or any similar material extending from end to end.and with a cross piece 24 for engaging the heel of a shoe when placedthereon.

The interior of the container below the plate 14 and the side rods 20provides sufficient space for the articles of a shoe polishing kit whichmay consist of a cleaning brush 25, the ends of which are inserted belowthe bars at one end of the container to hold it in place; polish holdingcans 26 and 21, a bottle 28 of shoe cleaning preparation, a dauber 29for swabbing the shoes with cleaner or polish. In assembling the kit,the loose parts above named are packed within the container, and thecleaning and polishing cloths 2| and 22 are placed over the topsvof thearticles and the cover plate I4 is closed over and upon the cloths untilit is engaged by the catch 19 at the end of the container.

With this construction, all the articles of the shoe polishing andcleaning kit are compactly arranged and held in the container, the footplate and the side rods. constitute the parts of the; apparatus aboutand. over which the cloths are-.movred incleaningand polishing a shoepositioned on the foot plate; andthe cleaning and polishing accessoriesare freely and readily inserted and removed from the container when thefoot. plate ['4 is raisedandinclined upwardly fromv the container.

It is believed unnecessary to show the application of the, cleaning. andpolishing cloths to a shoe when resting upon the plate M as the methodoiapplying. the cloths and moving them in contact with the front, sides orheel of the shoe is well known in practice.

The use of this: apparatusmay render brushes unnecessary except for theremoval of mud and dirt. By having the receptacle compact andsubstantially fiat, it may be placed upon a stool, chair, or othersupport, not too high, and the foot and shoe ofa user may be positionedthereon for conveniencein use;

The invention is not to-be understood as restrictedtothe details setforth since these may be modified withinthe scope of the appendedcl'ai'm without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

As anew article of manufacture, a shoe shining appara'tus comprising aflat rectangular base, a pairofi pa-rallelrlaterally spaced side wallsconnected' fixedly to, and? extending upwards from,

the side margins of the base and having straight parallel equal heightupper edges, a pair of parallel laterally spaced end walls connectedfixedly to, and extending upwards from, the end margins of the base,having the end margins thereof in abutment with the end margins of saidside walls, having their upper margins projecting above the upper edgesof the side walls and provided with aligned, horizontally elongatednotches in their central upper portions, and forming with the base andthe side walls an open top compartment for storing shoe shiningequipment, a, pair of parallel horizontally extending rods spacedinwards from, and in parallel relation with, the side walls, having theends thereof connected to the end walls, and positioned so that theirupper portions, are substantially flush with said upper edges of theside walls, and a flat rectangular foot plate adapted normally to assumea closed position wherein it extends between the end Walls and has itsends disposed in the notches, shaped and arranged so that when it is inits closed position its side edges are spaced inwards and upwards. fromthe rods and it, together with the rods, closes the top of thecompartment against displacement of the equipment therefrom, and pivotedso that it may be swung upwards from its closed position into. an openposition. in order to provide access to the equipment in the com-'partment, the spaces between the rods and the upper edges of the sidewalls and the spaces betweenthe rods and the side edges of the footplate when the latter is in its closed position beingcomparativelynarrow but sufiicient to permit a fabric shoe shining strip to bethreaded so that it overlies the footplate and underlies and extendsupwardsfrom the rods.

BENJAMIN SILFEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 636,198 Cheney Oct. 31, 1899877,164 Blackman a Jan. 21, 1908 1,447,787 Katz Mar. 6, 1923 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date 24,061 Great Britain Dec. 16, 1895

